Apparatus for holding infants



P. M. ROGATZ APPARATUS FOR HOLDING INFANTS Jan. 24, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 13, 1948 Jan. 24, 1950 P. M. ROGATZ APPARATUS FOR HOLDING INFANTS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 1:5, 1948 Jan 24, 1950 P. M. ROGATZ 2,495,482

APPARATUS FOR HOLDING INFANTS Filed March 13, 1948 s Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Jan. 24, 1950 vUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR HOLDING INFANTS 7 Pearl M. Rogatz, Milwaukee, Wis. Application March 13, 1948, Serial No. 14,791

3 Claims. (01. 155-45) This invention relates to nursery apparatus useful in handling infants, especially while bathing them. The bathing of infants too large to occupy the customary baby bath, generally formed ofcanvas or similar fabric and sold on'the market under the trade name Bathinettefi invariably presents a problem. The child is too small to be trusted to sit erect in an ordinary bathtub and consequently he must be held.

7 With a view towardovercoming this objection devices have been proposed in the past in the nature of seats adapted to befastened or otherwise positioned in a bathtub, and which-were intended to hold the infant in a seated posture. These devices, however, are not too satisfactory as they do not permit the necessary freedom of movement. 7 V 1 It is an object of this invention, therefore, to

provide a nurseryapparatus especially adapted for use in the bathing of infants but which is equally useful in dressing them and also can be used as 7 a cradle or bed if desired. v

More specifically-it is an object of this invention to provide a device adapted to be set into a bathtub and in the form of a reclining lounge on which a child may be supported in a reclining position. 4 1 g 'i Y 7,

Another object of this invention resides in the provision of a nursery device in theeform of a reclining lounge on which the child may be supported in a reclining position and having a portion of its supporting surface detachable at one end of the lounge to enable the infant to occupy a seated position on the device. I

Still another object of this invention resides in the provision of a device adapted tosupport an infant either in a reclining or seated position and which embodies a framework of tubular construction having spaced opposite side rails between which a fabric panel is stretched, with an offset portion medially of the side rails holding the fabric panel in the form of a seat.

. Still another object of this invention resides in theprovision of a device of the character dein Figures 3 and 5;

scribed with a safetyharness which isattached to the fabric panel of the device and adapted to pass around the waist of an infantsupported on the panel to hold the infant on the device while allowing him limited freedom of motion.

With the above and other. objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, this invention resides in thernovelconstruction, combination and arrangement of parts substantiallyas hereinafter. d c ib d and wer part l r d fined by the appended claims, it being understood thatsuch changes in the precise embodiment of the hereindisclosed invention 'may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one complete example of the physical embodiment of the invention constructed according to the best mode so far devised for the practical applicatio of the principles thereof, and in which:

Figure l is a perspectiveview of the nursery device of this invention indicating in construction lines the manner in which an'infant is sup ported thereon in a reclining position;

Figure 2 is also a perspective view but illustrating a portion of the fabric panel at the lower end of the device detached from its supporting rails and indicating in construction lines the manner in which an infant is supported on the devicein a seated position;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the device;

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view taken through Figure 3 on'the plane of the line 4--4;

Figure 5 is an-end elevational' view of the device viewing the" samefrom the low end thereof;

Figure 6 is a plan view of the device illustrated Figure 7 is a plan view of the panel per se' prior to attachment thereof to'the framework of the device; and r Figure 8 is an enlargeddetail-perspective view illustrating the manner in which the leg structure for the low end of the frame is attached to the side rails of the frame. a I

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings in which like numerals indicate like parts, the numeral It! generally designates the nursery device of this invention. It comprises a fabric panel ll stretched between and secured tov the opposite side rails! 2 of a framework l3 of tubular construction. For strength and also for sanitary reasons the framework I3 ismade up of metal. tubes having a bright chromium finish which is easily kept clean.

The side rails l2 are bent downwardly as at posite holes 2! in the ends of each leg I4 and extension i8 and threading into tapped holes 22 in a nipple 23, part of which is received in the open end of the leg l4 and the other part of which is received in the open end of the extension 58. The spacing of the holes 2| and 22 is such that the extremities of the legs l4 and the extensions I8 abut one another as shown in Figures 2 and 3 and thereby lend rigidity to the joint between the front leg structure I and the frame.

At the rear of the frame the downwardly bent legs I4 of the side rails have laterally bent extensions 25 thereon crossing one another and hence extending to opposite sides of the frame. The extensions are rigidly joined together at the point where they cross one another, as by welding 26. Downwardly projecting verticalportions-21 on the outer ends of these crossing leg extensions have rubber pads 28 fixed on their extremities and these pads may be in the nature of suction cups. similar padsor suction cups 29 secured to the underside of the cross piece H on the fI'Ollt'lGg structure enable the framework to be inserted in a bathtub or'placed upon any supporting surface without danger of slippage or tilting of the frame.

It will be noted that the front leg structure if: has relatively little height so that the frontof the framework is relatively low. The leg structure I6 at the rear of the fram'eyhowever has greater height so as to hold the rear of the frame at a substantial elevation with the side rails l2 parallel but inclined to horizontal.

Medially of their ends the side rails are bent to provide relatively short offset portions 3B which lead downwardly and rearwardly-in an oppositely inclined direction, and the offset thus produced in the fabric panel ll stretched between'the side rails provides a seat 3! which is adapted to support an infant in aseated position on the device.

The fabric panel I I may be a length of canvas or other fabric having substantial strength, and it is preferably rubberized or otherwise treated to have water repellant characteristics. As best seen in Figure-7 the panel H is comprised-of two sections, a front section 33 and a rear section 34 integral therewith but defined therefrom by notches 35 cut into opposite side edges of the panel near its medial portion but ahead of theseat 3| thereof.

The panel has sufficient length as to extend beyond the opposite ends of the side rails and sufiicient width as to allow marginal flap portions 35 at the opposite sides of the panel section 34 to be folded around the side rail portions rearwardly of the seat 3| so that when stitched onto the underside of the panel as at 3'! the flaps 38 securely hold the rear section of the panel in place on the device.

The rear section 34 of the panel has sufficient length to enable its rear: end to be folded 'over the rear of the frame as seen in Figures 1, 2, and 3 with the side flaps 3'6 covering "the downwardly bent leg portions 4 4 at the rear of the side rails.

The front panel section 33 likewise has marginal flaps 39 -at its" opposite side edges which are adapted to pass around the lengths of the side rails forwardly of the seat 3! including the downwardly bent ends 14 at the front of the frame. These flaps, however, have snap fasteners fixed thereto for cooperation with mating fasteners 4'! on the body of the flap to enable the section 33 to be detached from the front portion of the frame.

With the panel entirely secured to the framework as illustrated in Figure l, the device is adapted to support an infant in a reclining position as indicated, but when the snap fasteners holding the opposite sides of the front panel section 33 to the side rails are disengaged, the front section 33 of the panel is freed from the side rails and may be folded rearwardly under the seat 3| as shown in Figure 2 to allow an infant to occupy a seated position-upon the device.

An infant is adapted to be securely held upon the panel either in a reclining or seated position by means of a safety harness generally designated 42-. This harness comprises a longitudinal strap 43 the medial .portion of which is stitched to the seat 3 l' of the panel as at 44, so that the opposite ends of the strap extend towards the opposite ends of the framework. A belt-forming strap 45 has its medial portion stitched as at 45 to one end of the strap 43, preferably the rear end, and the belt-forming s'trap has a length sllch' t'hat it may pass entirelyabout 'the waistof-an infant supported on the panel. In additionthe belt-formingstrap 45 'is provided witha f plurality of snap fasteners 46"at each-end thereof for cooperation with mating fasteners '46 fi x'ed to the opposite end of the-strap to enable s'ecurem'e'nt of the strap '45 about the-waist of an-infant.

In-use the infant is placedupon the panel with its lower body portion directly over-'theseat 35 of the panel-and upon the rear-end-of the strap 43 so that the fI'OTlt -hd of this strap may be brought up between th'elegs of 'theinfan't and secured to theopposite 'ends of the belt-forming strap 45 passed around the infan'ts waist. It is important to note that there'are 'sufiicient fastenors 46 to allow a degree-of adjustment ofthe belt-forming strap 45 about the waist of the infant, asit ises'sentiarthatthe harness'fit rather snug for the inost efiicientperformance of' i ts function.

Itshouldalso be observed that the securement of the strap 43 to the seat 3! of-the panel-atthe mid-portion I of the strap renders the harness- 42 operative both when'the infant is occupying :a reclining position I and when occupying a seated position. v

In order to afford maximum safety, the'beltfor-mingmember "la-has relatively 'sh'ortstrips of fabric 513 secured thereto at' eithersideof the adjacent end of the' 'strap 43 an'd theouter ends of thestrips'EG are ermanently attached toth'e body section '34 of the-panel as bysti'tchingtl. The strips 50the'refore allow an infant in theharness 42 a limited de-g-ree of freedom while-positi'vely precluding any i danger of" tl1e infant toppling either side'ways' or"forwardly from the seat portion' 3 I. I

From the foregoing description taken *i'n c'oIrnection' with' th'e accomr':a'nyingdrawings, it will be readily apparent to th'ose skilled in the art that the nursery device-of thisdnv-entionfeatures simplicity of construction and consequently low cost, and that' it greatly f-ac'il'itates "thehandling of infants during bathing and/cr dressing since its portability enables it to b'epla ced aconveni'ent position 'of use on a tableor-thelike or placed directly in an -'or'dinary bathtub "for bathing of the infant. Anotherhighly impor tant feature resides in the factthat the fabric panel is readily removable ror l'au nderin'g,j or replacement, -'merely upon "detachment of the front leg structure from't-he device.

What 'I claiin as my invention is:

1. In a device of the character-described: "an

elongated frame comprising spaced side rails bent at the ends thereof to form front and rear legs; a removable cross member connecting the legs at one end of the frame; the legs at one end of the frame being longer than those at the other end so as to give the frame a downward tilt; a medial vertical offset in each of the side rails; a fabric panel supported by said side rails and extending therebetween substantially from end to end of the frame; means connecting that portion of the fabric panel which extends from the upper end of the frame down to and including the offset portions of its side rails to the side rails in a manner allowing detachment of the fabric panel upon removal of said cross member by sliding the same along the length of the side rails; and means for readily detachably connecting the lowermost portion of the fabric to the side rails to provide a support for the legs of an infant reclining on the device, and so that upon detachment from said lowermost portion of the fabric from the side rails an infant may occupy a seated position on the device with its feet between the side rails.

2. In a device of the character described: a frame including a pair of spaced apart side rails and a leg structure at each end of the frame to hold the side rails inclined downwardly and forwardly with respect to the horizontal, each of said rails being bent medially of its ends to provide a relatively short upwardly and rearwardly inclined offset portion; a fabric panel having a length at least equal to that of said rails and having each of its side edges, from a medial point to one end thereof, secured to the medial and upper portions of one of the side rails, the section of the panel supported from the medial portions of the side rails being adapted to provide a seat for an infant having its legs between the lower portions of the side rails and the section of the panel supported by the upper portion of the side rails being adapted to provide a back rest for an infant in a reclining position; means for readily detachably connecting the side edges of the remaining section of the fabric panel to the lower portions of said side rails when it is desired to provide a support for the extended legs of an infant reclining on the panel; and a substantially T-shaped safety belt having the medial portion of its stem member permanently secured along the longitudinal center of the seat section of said panel and having readily detachable connecting means at its free ends to enable the same to be connected together, with the stem portion of the T passing between the legs of the infant and the arms thereof embracing the waist of an infant to hold the infant on the device in either a seated or a reclining position.

3. The device of claim 2 further characterized by the provision of a pair of connecting strips each having one of its ends secured to an arm of the belt and its other end secured to the seat section of the panel adjacent to one of said side rails, said sections preventing an infant in said belt from toppling either sidewise or forwardly on the device.

PEARL M. ROGATZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 920,873 Irwin May 4, 1909 2,121,100 ,Rosenbaum June 21, 1938 2,190,221 Scott Feb. 13, 1940 2,324,421 Ouellette July 13, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 810,992 France Jan. 9, 1937 

